in2sports India - a grassroots basketball coaching initiative - have opened their 3rd center in Delhi-NCR

In basketball, like in almost every other field in life, it is the big picture that makes the headlines, but it is hundreds and thousands of smaller pictures that comprise together to make the big picture possible.

For Indian basketball, the big picture these days - literally and figuratively - is Satnam Singh, the first Indian citizen to be drafted into the NBA. When Satnam realized his NBA dream, he also brought Indian basketball into mainstream focus, and his origin story - from the villages of Punjab to the hardwood courts of IMG Academy - quickly became stuff of legend.

But for every Satnam, there are hundreds of thousands of more youth basketball players in India hoping to emulate his success. Not all of them are blessed with his 7-foot-2 frame or the scholarship opportunity that was provided to him by IMG. The youth of India aren't born basketball stars overnight; they have to be discovered in the grassroots, moulded in the fundamentals of the game, and encouraged to make the most of their physical and mental gifts as early as possible. Where the national federations and associations fail to spot and mould our young talents, it is the efforts of others with grassroots academies that can help fill in the gaps.

One such highly successful academy in the Delhi-NCR region has been in2sports India. Established in 2012, in2sports have worked with over 1,500 children aged 3-18 in NCR and have maintained an approval rating of over 95%. After running successful programmes in two Delhi locations, they have now recently opened our first center in Gurgaon in Phase 2 (Gurgaon Valley School). "Our aim is to lend structure to the highly unorganized basketball industry in India and have a basketball training center within 5 kilometers of every house in NCR (to begin with) so as to give every child the opportunity to play this beautiful game," said Karan Baweja, the co-founder of in2sports.

New batches at all 3 centers started on July 1.

in2sports are led by the team of Arjun Chopra and Karan Baweja (Founders) and Pramod Baweja (Lead Advisor).

"The programme is designed and executed by coaches certified by FIBA and NIS and associated with the jrNBA and BFI," said Karan Baweja, "Our basketball philosophy revolves around the fundamentals, repetition, proper technique and progression. Coaching methods are centered on making training sessions fun, engaging and effective for the students. We focus on the four main aspects of the game; technical, tactical, physical and psychosocial. The athletic philosophy lends itself from the LTAD methodology and our age appropriate strength & conditioning modules ensure that children learn to work on their fitness from a young age."

"Our approach is one where we strive to create a fun and enjoyable environment while also fostering growth in skill and knowledge. Games are used extensively throughout sessions to keep interest levels and morale high among the children while also giving them a forum to compete and reap the benefits of their hard work."

in2sports centers are currently at Vasant Kunj in Delhi (Age 3-10), GK-2 in Delhi (Age 4-18) and Phase 2 in Gurgaon (Age 4-18). They also offer football training which follows the same approach and methodology and is conducted by AIFF certified coaches. Interested children and parents can contact us on 9871433773, 01166575947, 9910433773(VK) or info@in2sports.in.

The search for the next Satnam has already begun. Make sure to keep your eye on the smaller pictures; some of them are going to make another big dream come true again.